Kael had become accustomed to Hell's volatile landscape—chaos, death, and suffering were the norm, but that didn't mean he ever grew comfortable with it. Today, though, he found himself moving through the skies once more. His wings, large and leathery, cut through the dense, smoke-filled toxic air with ease. The sensation of flying gave him a strange sense of peace, a brief escape from the madness below.
Despite the peace it brought him, Kael didn't like lingering too long in the open air. Hell was full of predators—demons far more powerful than anything he had encountered, and that made every venture beyond the village risky. Still, something about today felt different, as though a strange pull urged him to explore further.
His sharp eyes soon spotted something unusual—a shadowed figure standing before a massive portal. The creature's presence was undeniable. It wasn't enormous, but it was certainly larger than Kael's usual shapeshifting forms. This demon was imposing, with jagged horns and glowing eyes that flickered like embers. It was intimidating, but Kael didn't feel the same kind of primal fear that would have gripped others. Instead, it stirred his curiosity.
The demon stood still, its eyes locked on the swirling portal ahead. It seemed to be waiting for something, or perhaps it was simply drawn to the energy of the portal. Kael hovered in the air, keeping a safe distance, watching the demon's movements. He wasn't about to approach—it wasn't in his nature to seek out conflict—but he couldn't ignore the strange aura emanating from the portal.
After a long moment, the demon took a slow step forward, its large form shifting in the dim light. It was still much bigger than Kael, but it didn't feel insurmountable. Kael could probably match its size in his shapeshifted form, but he had no intention of doing so. Fighting wasn't on his agenda today. His only goal was following him.
The demon stepped into the portal, vanishing into the swirling darkness. Kael remained still, watching the portal pulse with dark energy. He felt something in the air—a sense of foreboding, like something significant was about to unfold. Though a part of him told him to leave, his curiosity won .
He flew cautiously toward the portal, landing just a few feet from it. His eyes narrowed as he peered through the dark energy. What lay on the other side? Kael wasn't sure, but he needed to find out.
As he stared into the portal, the sounds of a scream reached his ears. It was a child's voice—a cry of pure terror. Kael's heart beat faster. He couldn't see the source, but the scream was enough to make rethink his decision .
Despite that , Kael still came closer to the portal, his wings fluttering slightly as he hovered just out of reach. Peering through the swirling energy, he saw a horrific sight.
The demon from before had appeared on the other side, towering over a small human child. The child couldn't have been more than twelve years old. Their face was pale with fear, their body frozen as the demon loomed above them. The creature opened its mouth, revealing jagged, yellowed teeth, and without a second thought, the demon swallowed the child whole. The scream was cut off abruptly as the demon devoured its prey.
Kael's expression didn't change, but a small flicker of something—disgust, perhaps—stirred inside him. He had seen cruelty before, but witnessing such a senseless act was still unsettling. Still, Kael remained composed, his mind calculating. Being emotional wouldn't serve him anything good here. The demon's actions were nothing new in Hell, but that didn't mean Kael was comfortable with it.
The demon didn't stop there. It turned toward two adults who had been standing nearby, likely the parents of the child. In a swift movement, the demon's claws tore through the air, cutting them down brutally . Blood splattered across the ground, but Kael did not flinch. He had seen worse.
The scene unfolded before him with a disturbing coldness, and Kael felt a subtle shift inside him—an acknowledgment of how cruel the world can be. But this wasn't about vengeance. This wasn't about rage. His goal wasn't to fight. It was to observe, to survive .
The demon, having finished its grisly task, began to move towards the window. Kael watched, thinking of his next course of action . He had no desire to confront this creature. It was bigger, stronger, and likely faster than he was. Thankfully Kael was patient—he would still follow him , move behind him with stealth, and learn more about whatever this demon was doing. Fighting would come later, only when the time was right.
Kael's mind turned to his shapeshifting abilities. He had learned over time that he could change his form to avoid detection. The demon might not notice the small, weak human child it had devoured, and Kael could mimic that appearance—perhaps even make it more convincing by adopting the same frailty.
Without hesitation, he concentrated. His body shifted, his wings retracting and his form shrinking. The transformation was seamless. In an instant, Kael stood there as a small, human child—roughly the same size as the one the demon had just consumed.
He wasn't in a rush. He wasn't panicked. He had learned how to move with patience, how to stay silent, and how to observe from the shadows. With the demon's gone elsewhere, Kael took a quiet step toward the portal, his small, human form blending perfectly into the darkness.'This is weird', he kept his movements minimal, careful not to attract attention.
There was no need for a confrontation. He wasn't here to fight; he was here to confirm wether he was seing things or not and maybe try to begin a new life. And so, Kael entered the portal after the demon, moving with caution, eager to uncover whatever secrets lay beyond.